Letter to the Editor: Inadequate school funding jeopardizes Wilkes-Barre schools and state’s future

May 23rd, 2016 11:22 am - updated: 5:01 pm.

The Wilkes-Barre Area School District is expected to cut its budget by $11 million over four years. At least two high schools will be combined, class sizes will be larger, and there will be fewer teachers.

The population of Wilkes-Barre isn’t going down significantly. Most kids in Wilkes-Barre schools don’t have the economic choice of moving.

These facts make me fear for the future of this city – and the state as a whole. It’s well-known that poor education is a precursor to poverty, and poverty is a precursor to crime.

Unless Republican leadership in the state Legislature steps up and starts funding our schools, many cities such as Wilkes-Barre across the Keystone State will suffer. We can raise property taxes only so high. We need a state budget that funds our schools.